We Are Again Waiting For A Disastrous Earthquake In Northern Areas of Pakistan
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Transcript of We Are Again Waiting For A Disastrous Earthquake In Northern Areas of Pakistan
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8/6/2019 We Are Again Waiting For A Disastrous Earthquake In Northern Areas of Pakistan
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WE ARE AGAIN WAITING FOR A DISASTROUSEARTHQUAKE IN NORTHERN AREAS OF
PAKISTAN
After the earthquake of October 8, 2005, most of thepeople are thinking about motion of tectonic plates,release of sub surface energy, divergence andconvergence of plate boundaries and many other criteria,which cause the happening of an earthquake.
While we are discussing any earthquake of the world,
there arise many questions regarding it. But two thingsare of much importance in the happening of earthquake,which gives us an idea about the amount of energy,accumulated inside the earth. They are Pre shocks andAfter shocks.
Energy is produced due to the presence of radioactiveelements in the crustal and mantle region of the earth. Asthese radioactive elements try to stabilize themselves, achain reaction series is produced with the release of energy in addition, which causes melting of lithosphere,disturbing the internal conditions of earth.
As this energy fills the chambers of earth, it tries to moveup towards the earth surface through weaker zones,producing or activating an existing fault. When thisenergy rushes towards the earth surface in a smalleramount, it causes the sudden vibration of earth. As moreand more energy is released, it widens the weaker zone.So a maximum amount of energy follows this smallerrelease and causes a major earthquake. After theoccurrence of this major quake, the remaining energy
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again slowly starts to release out to re-stabilize theposition of tectonic plates.
Following is given the diagrammatic conditions of energy
release.
So when this remaining energy release out, it againcauses the minor shacking of the earth.
Pre-shocks are considered as more effective criteria forthe prediction of a major upcoming earthquake.
As the intensity of pre-shock increases by an averageamount in the same area, so we can conclude that a
major earthquake is following these shocks.Now as we are looking at the past few months, it isobserved that there occurred five to six minorearthquakes till now in the northern areas of Pakistanincluding Kohistan, Chitral, Mansehra, Balakot, Azad
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Kashmir, Kaghan as well as along Pak-Afghan boundary inHindukush range.
When we study the tectonic map of Pakistan, this is the
area with high tectonic relief. As two major tectonicplates (Indian and Eurasian) collides in this zone, Majorfaults like Main boundary thrust (MBT), their splays,Hazara-Kashmir syntexis and many other tectonicfeatures covers this large area in the form of an arc,ranging from south-west of Pakistan (approaching theChaman strike slip fault) to north-eastern zone of thecountry.
As all the recent minor earthquakes were happened inthis area in the range of 4.0 to 6.0 magnitudes. So itgives a clue that there is possibility of a major earthquakeevent happening within some years (not exactlypredictable) in the northern areas of Pakistan.
(May Allah bless us all with His mercy, and protect us
from such type of catastrophic disasters. Ameen)
Syed Junaid shah (MS Scholar)
National center of excellence in Geology,
University of Peshawar (Pakistan)
+92-333-6414-008
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected] -
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